Pre Christmas pictures

First of all, the picture at the top is a birthday present I had received from my good friend, Michele Kennard. She had given me a cup warmer.  Yes.  It keep my cup of coffee nice and warm so I'm not throwing my cup in the microwave every fifteen minutes.  Words can not express how much I love this gift.
Next, this is our second year of gingerbread house decorating with out fabulous friends, Brendan and Ashlee Byrd.  The Byrds.  Isn't that adorable?  Love Byrds.  I just can't get enough; they're so sweet.  I digress...
Well, for the second year in a row, we have found that we need some serious pre-planning for future gingerbread house creating.  We are no good.  We use graham cracker walls since I always run out of time to make or buy something better.  Ashlee's frosting tasted spectacular, but wasn't quite gluing our pieces together as needed.  Brendan, the show off, always constructs some multi-story, multi-room house with a theme and gorgeous frosted paint job.  We still love him.  The rest of us just end up with a less-than-sturdy, barely recognizable structure that is likely to end up in the trash less than 24 hours later.  Unless the girls find them first and realize candy was involved.  Next year, I swear we'll get it right.
Side note: isn't Ashlee's festive wear fabulous?  She pulls off a holly covered turtleneck and Christmas earrings like a master.  Sarah Sophia wasn't quite as excited to get dolled up in holiday gear.